Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic Potential 76ers vs Nuggets NBA Finals Preview?

Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic Potential 76ers vs Nuggets NBA Finals Preview?

Nuggets Sixers last night this this was a fun one to watch it was the the battle of the big dudes yic versus embiid I would say it delivered and I would say embiid came out on top on this one not only did they win but his numbers were

Incredible the 126 121 Victory embiid Maxi and Tobias Harris combined for 90 of their points and embiid himself had 41 seven and 10 guys um it’s one of the best games to watch so far I was worried that somebody was going to sit beforehand but we got

It who wins the series If This Were to actually be our finals Lou you know this is going to be a funny answer but strictly based on last night I would say the Sixers man Joel andb was absolutely dominant Tobias Harris was great for them throwing in another 25

Points Maxi throwing in 26 you know these guys were these guys were rolling they look they look they look good it looked like they were up for the challenge but if you’re asking me about a seven game series I’m going with the defending Champions I like the way that

They share the basketball they can plug guys into that system they play well together that ball is moving you know this the the thing that we’re going to talk about is joic only having three assists right so if your Center who’s your best passer as well only has three

Assists that’s going to affect the the the ball game tremendously and I thought that’s what we saw last night he wasn’t allowed to be in the passing lanes and get the B out to those guys like they wanted but give a lot of credit to the

Sixers man they played a hell of a game and Joel andb was the head of that snake but if you’re asking me for seven games give me Denver again I I want to ask because you know when when we’ve seen these guys match up embiid has gotten some flak for quote

Unquote ducking a couple of the matchups but then you watch a game like last night you’re like why would this dude ever duck anything Lou I mean I mean he was incredible to watch last night are we making too much of that that’s a that’s a it’s a silly narrative you know

Let’s let’s let’s go way back and do a deep dive into you know his injury history you know this guy has been a part of low management just as much as any other guys that we talk about when it comes to when it comes to low management you know he’s had some

Situations where he’s needed to take games off and listen if he’s going to take games off and come in and give me two back toback 40s then take another night off big fella so that’s a silly narrative that he’s ducking anybody ducking any smoke if you to know Joel

Embiid is to know that he’s extremely competitive person and he wants all the smoke trust me he ain’t ducking nothing Michelle 18th straight 30 point game or more for Joel embiid sixth longest streak in NBA history he has been absolutely dominant and every single game that goes by it’s like it’s

So easy I think Kevin Durant tweeted the other day like it took him three quarters to score 40 points the other night it it’s just what he’s doing right now is is is super impressive and he’s only building upon what he did last year he won MVP last year and you have to

Give the Sixers a lot of credit they’re well balanced Tyrese Max last night 25 points Tobias Harris 24 points and uh this team has a a wide range of score scoring ability you have Marcus Morris playing at a good level Kelly UB uh chipped in with 11 points and we know

Embiid’s the dominant Force but around him he’s got guys playing at a high level two t Maxi should be an All-Star this year um and when I talked to people around that Sixers organization last night getting a sense of like what is Joel em be’s mindset uh you know during

That game is he talking trash about Yoki is he like what what is his frame of mind they say honestly he’s quiet he’s focused and his biggest things are Pointers he has to make like if he wants a guy cutting to the basket if he wants

Um more picking roles if he wants the team to make adjustments he’s going to speak about that but other than that he’s focused on the game and uh I think Joel embiid is just maturing year after year after year tyres Maxi told me when he came in as a rookie Joel embiid

Wouldn’t even speak and now Joel embiid his leadership and what he brings to the table as a professional um as a leader I think it means a lot to that organization the idea that that he wasn’t even speaking is funny there was a moment last night after the game right

After the game with uh joic and embiid talking to each other covering their mouths the whole nine and then he was asked about it afterwards he said and B did that he was telling yic you know you’re the best player in the league defending champs Yad y um and then of

Course they cut to sha and he’s like I don’t know about that so Lou I ask you who is the most dominant Big B in the league you gotta you got to you got to put that down the middle 50-50 their impacts are completely different you

Know Joel embiid is a Score first guy I feel like joic is a pass first guy that can also score you know and so they give you two completely different Dynamics if I got the first pick at the park and both of those guys are there I can close

My eyes and pick one you know it’s really that it’s really that close to me how they impact the game the way that they impact their teams it’s completely different but it’s dominant both are dominant at the same time so I can’t I can’t call it Joel andb is in a league

Of his own right now with the streak that he’s on but we’ve also seen the same type of production from yic as well and so I I I I honestly can’t call it I like both of these guys normally I would give you a hard time but I actually

Think this is the right answer on this one it’s it’s too tough they’re tied um I well you know I maybe this is negative I don’t know but he does lead the league Joel embiid does as far as free throw attempts I think he’s averaging like 12

He had 15 last night and opposing coaches aren’t always pleased with that Lou are they right no tail guy stop fouling you tell gu stop hacking cuz you know in my in my career I was a high free throw guy I would pump pump fake get guys in the air

Or if your hand your hand is out I’m swinging through and I’m creating that contact Because by the time I come into the game nine times out of 10 our team is already in the bonus and Joel embiid he’s learned he’s learned that part of the game get you two easy free throws

Take the pressure off your offense go back down the court and set up you know and he’s like we said we talk about his dominance this guy can he can face up at the three-point line you have to respect him shooting a three so he can get you

With a head fake at the top of the key put the ball on the floor a lot of Fes not used to a five putting the ball on the floor that’s that’s when you get in foul trouble when you start using your hands when you post up he’s a 7ot 200

Something pound guy that can really run through your chest and go lay the ball up you have to guard that so that gives you that gives you another opportunity he can play with his back to the basket that’s another opportunity to create fouls and so get the man credit he’s

Doing a great job of putting a lot of pressure on defenses every single possession so do coaches is it annoying for a coach absolutely but again you got to have a a better game plan for a guy that’s going to give you four or five different looks to score the

Basketball all right I just have to add I just I I I have to add Michelle uh you know speaking about Lou I followed Lou’s career pretty heavily there was only two players that got the calls that that he got him and James Harden Lou how did you

Do it I want I just I’ve never asked this question you were drawing these crazy files so was James you and James are the only guys on the perimeter drawing these files how like I don’t I didn’t even understand it yeah cuz I I think James and I we were

Going into a lot of situations during games where we were just strictly looking for free throws like I said if I’m coming off the bench and the first time I’m getting in a game and it’s with three or four minutes left in that first quarter the best thing that I can do to

Get myself going is to get a couple free throws before we start so soon as I grab the ball I’m looking at what you’re doing whether your hand is out whether you’re a little jumpy or whatever so I’m giving you a pump fake if you go ahead

And jump I’m going to lean in if your hand is out I’m swinging through and I’m going to get two two easy free throws but it was the gift and the curse you know James and I we did it so well that they changed the rules because of us you

Know so that’s how we were able to do it it’s just playing chess in the middle of the games giving yourself an opportunity to get two easy points before the game gets going well Lou let me follow that up like you guys that much I was gonna

Say that the ref loved you and did you like pissing everyone else off because that’s what it sounds like to me yeah I remember one game in particular I think it was on the spur scouting report um and this is one of the games that I started on the very first possession I

Get a guy in the air pump fake three uh three free throws pop pulls him immediately and he rails him and I told you to stay down on pump fakes so these you know so trust me these things are points of emphasis when it comes to game

Planning for teams and so should teams be mad at Joel andb for drawing fouls no they should be mad at their guys for going for it but it’s so tempting to you’re moving I have to God whatever all right um it is it it’s just it’s like front Court depth sham Shams Shams

Almost called you Shams what am I a stranger um with three weeks away from the trade deadline are are we thinking and there’s so many teams that we’re gonna be looking at and I’m so excited for this deadline this year but is Philly going to be active are you expecting

Anything I I think they’re going to be measured I mean the one thing that they have going for them is they have these salaries like Marcus Morris and Robert Covington that are really in that range of of it’s not a major salary you’re not going to be bringing back a Max contract

Type of guy but you’re going to be bringing in a you know you could be in the market to bring back a a really good bench piece a really good score um I I I think they’re going to be active I I I don’t get the sense that they’re as

Engaged right now on dejonte Murray or Zack LaVine or Pascal cakam I think those three guys I I have not gotten the sense that they are going to pursue those three uh aggressively I think there is a level of interest there for them but not not an aggressive

Aggressive Pursuit and so this is the team also Michelle They have Max salary space in the summer so if if you want to go and commit yourself to aack LaVine or Deonte Murray you remove yourself from the free agency conversation in the offseason and they already have such a

Great thing going like could you roll the dice and see what this team could do maybe add one more piece on the edges and see what this team could do as currently constructed with this core of Tobias Harris Maxi and Joel embiid and see just how far this group can go

Before you make a decision in this summer there’s going to be options for them in the summer they have a bunch of assets remember they got two first round picks from the Clippers this team is going to have great uh I think uh ability to go add Talent if they want in

The summer it’s this is going to be a fun one Lou let me ask you if you if one team had to strengthen their roster more would you think it was Denver or Philly and you got to pick one and I’m not because I feel look I I feel like both of these

Teams obviously any team that’s trying to win a championship they would love to strengthen their bench give them an opportunity at the top of those second quarters uh when your starters are out you know to either increase that lead or or get a great plus minus situation

Going but I I like Reggie Jackson um coming off the bench for Denver you know I like Christian Brun to get an opportunity to be a bigger part of what they’re doing in Denver as well he’s getting a he’s getting some quality minutes and getting a quality experience

And learning what it’s like to be on a champ I ship caliber team and on the flip side of that you got a you got a pat Bev and you got a Marcus Morris coming off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers I like that mix of

Guys that can hold it down for seven to eight minute stretches while you know the the the starting groups are taking a break and so would both of these teams like to get better on the bench I’m sure but at at what cost and at what position

You know the Sixers you can throw that ball to Marcus Morris five or six times and he’s going to give you a bucket who’s going to be a better um perimeter def Defender than than Pat Bev you know Reggie Jackson has proven that he can go

Out and give you 25 to 30 points a game Christian Brun plays with a lot of energy so it’s a lot of guys out there in the market that can strengthen both of these teams but I don’t see anything glaring for either one of them it’s a

Nice position to be in um what about on the Philly side the Maxi Harris and B 90 points combined last night do you envision this as a a championship core it is but listen that’s gon that’s going to be tough to do consistently you know we’re talking about one guy that

Had 40 and two other guys 25 plus a piece that’s it’s that’s just going to be tough to keep up with especially in the play in playoffs somebody’s going to get taken away somebody is going to get absolutely wiped out of this series and the fans are going to go crazy he’s not

Playing well because they don’t understand the tactics that comes with the playoffs you know in order for a team to beat you in a seven game series something has to be sacrificed and you got to be be willing to give up something and so to expect these guys to

Play at a high clip is unrealistic but if they can pull it off they’re going to give themselves a real opportunity to be a championship contending team

On today’s episode of ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV LIVE co-hosts Michelle Beadle, Shams Charania, Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons talk about the 76ers and Nuggets and the face off between the two best big men in the league, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić. They also discussed what trades both teams could make to get them over the top.

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/21UFw1AAEEQ

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00:00 76ERS VS NUGGETS FINALS?
01:41 JOEL EMBIID DOMINANCE
05:33 EMBIID DRAWING FOULS
09:10 TRADE TALKS

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